1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a pyrolytic process. More specifically, the present invention relates to a process for producing novel components or components in clearly unexpected amounts as compared to conventional processes heretofore utilized.
2. Background Information
Heretofore, pyrolytic reactors have generally utilized small amounts of materials at very high heat input rates. The material was typically thinly spread over the heating surface.
Moreover, applicant is not aware of any prior art patents which teach or suggest applicant's process as well as the results obtained therefrom. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,714,038 to Marsh relates to a pyrolysis process wherein a mixture of organic and inorganic wastes are pulped in a liquid such as water to form a slurry, dewatered, and then pyrolyzed or hydrogenated. As such, it lacks any suggestion of applicant's reactor size, slow heat input, a deep char bed, and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,822,218 to Whittaker relates to the addition of a carbonaceous binder to a rubber prior to the destructive distillation thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,823,223 to Liska relates to a destructive distillation of synthetic rubber scrap to produce a char which, when ground, can be used in reinforcement of rubbers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,123,332 to Rotter also relates to a process and apparatus for treating carbonizable materials such as tires. Various end products are produced.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,085,038 relates to a process for recovering cellulose from vegetable materials via hydrolysis.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,864,097 and 3,864,096 relate to a process for converting cellulose into an oil with a catalyst and at temperatures of between 200° C. to 375° C.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,910,775 to Jackman discloses an apparatus and method for converting refuse, sewage, and industrial wastes into fuel substances. The waste material is converted to briquettes which can be burned as a fuel.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,923,472, to Martinez relates to a process for converting thermoplastic synthetic fibers into an oil suitable for use as a fuel. The fibers are first saturated in an oil-bearing liquid and then heated to a temperature which changes the mixture into a liquid state.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,926,582 to Powell relates to the pyrolytic treatment of solid waste materials including a heterogeneous mixture of organic and inorganic wastes of all known types. The process, however, is conducted in an oxygen-rich gas.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,933,577 to Penque employs the step of sonically pulping municipal waste in the presence of water and certain alkaline compounds.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,947,256, to Tsukagoshi relates to applying simultaneous compression and shearing action on polymers until they are in a fluid state. The fluid can be equalized as a fuel.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,961,913, to Brenneman discloses a process for treating organic waste materials with acids at elevated temperatures to form a solid fuel material.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,996,022 to Larsen relates to a process for converting waste solid rubber scrap into useful liquid, solid and gaseous products. The process is conducted in the process of certain salts at temperatures of between 300° C. and 500° C.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,063,903, to Beningson relates to an apparatus for disposal of solid wastes by converting them to a fuel and some amount of sterile land fill materials. Various steps are applied such as shredding, magnetic separating, separating finds, applying acids, heating and drying.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,095,956 to Holmes relates to a system for processing municipal wastes, wherein the waste is separated into a combustible fraction which is bailed and can subsequently be burned.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,145,188, to Espenscheid solubilizes municipal refuse and other solid organic wastes in a highly aromatic refined petroleum solvent to produce a homogeneous heavy oil or bitumen composition.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,164,396 to Jones relates to producing a fuel from waste refuse material by combining solid fibrous materials with liquid combustible materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,325,329, to Taylor relates to producing alcohol and mixing it with gasoline on board a vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,028,068 to Kiener relates to a process and apparatus for the production of combustible gas.
A brochure by Kutries relates to a pyrolytic process but lacks a suggestion of the production of aromatics from non aromatics and the necessity of stability.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,344,770 to Capener relates to a method and apparatus for converting solid organic materials such as garbage, sewage, sludge and cellulosic products into a fuel oil and gas. Pyrolysis of the waste material is reported to produce certain oil fractions which can be used as fuels as in the firing of a boiler.
U.K. Patent No. 1,481,352 discloses a method of thermal decomposition of hydrocarbons by, at least partially, indirect contact of hydrocarbons with a hot gas. The gas is let off after heat exchange separately from the gaseous products formed during decomposition. Tires are heated in a tube by hot gases flowing through a jacket around the tube. In another embodiment the tube has a grid region into which a combustion gas is fed to aid carbonization by direct gas heating/combustion at the grid carbon interface. Steam or CO2 may be fed to the grid to form water gas or reduce gas to aid combustion. As such, there is no substantial absence of oxygen.
U.S. Bureau of Mines report of investigation #7302 discloses a method of destructive distillation of scrap tires. A report was made of tests conducted under a variety of conditions. Solids, liquids, and gases were produced, recovered and analyzed. The quantities of various products were shown to be dependent on test temperature. Variability in the composition of the liquid and gaseous products changed in accordance with temperature, and were also reported.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,406 to Timmann discloses a process for the pyrolytic reprocessing of plastic, rubber, or other hydrocarbon materials in which the resultant pyrolysis gas is brought into a cooling stage and reduced to a temperature just above the freezing point of water and to a pressure of approximately 0.8 to 1.4 bar of overpressure. The resultant condensate is then separated and heated to a normal storage temperature and the super atmospheric pressure on the condensate reduced to atmospheric pressure. The gas released therefrom comprises a C1 to C4 mixture of hydrocarbon compounds and is supplied to the pyrolysis process as a special process gas. A substantial increase in the proportion of aromatic compounds in the pyrolysis gas is reported.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,534 to Breu discloses a rotary, continuous pyrolytic conversion system which converts solid hydrocarbon containing feedstock into gases, liquid hydrocarbons and char. A converter drum is contained within an outer drum which is in a substantially air-tight relationship with an injector for introducing the feedstock in the form of bales and with a discharge chute for the solid products of pyrolysis. A casing around the outer stationary drum defines an over chamber which is heated by combustion products. A rod extends into the injection end of the converter drum for support of scraper(s) which run near or bear against the inner periphery of the converter drum. A crusher bar is carried in the drum at the discharge end thereof and crushes the solid products. A second pyrolysis reactor may receive the solid pyrolysis products and be operative at higher temperature than the first converter to destroy chlorinated hydrocarbons.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,777 to Jarrell discloses a method and apparatus for producing fuel and carbon black from rubber. The method and apparatus produce a liquid fuel that is low in sulfur content, gaseous hydrocarbons, and solid carbonaceous materials from used rubber tires. Rubber is heated under negative pressures in the presence of a minimal amount of oxygen. The methods and apparatus of the present invention are said to produce little air emissions and conserve energy.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,258,101 to Breu discloses a pyrolytic converter utilizing a rotatable drum surrounded by an outer drum support structure and disposed in an over chamber which pyrolyzes materials including plastic waste, tires, materials from automobile shredding operations, containers and trays of plastic material, rubber, leather, garbage, sewage sludge, coal, oil shale, broken asphalt and the like. These materials are formed into cartridges by a compactor using a reciprocating ram which forms cartridges that enter an injection tube wherein another ram injects the cartridges into the converter drum. The converter is disposed on a fulcrum near the injection end thereof while the discharge end is suspended by cables to accommodate thermal expansion of the converter. Cables also suspend collection and separation apparatus having water filled chutes, into one of which the products of pyrolyzation of low density (char) and solids of higher density are discharged from the converter drum. Lower and higher density solids are separately collected tanks.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,736 to Bouziane, et al discloses an apparatus that can effect pyrolysis of hydrocarbon containing material at high temperatures of 400° to 500° C. and under vacuum in consecutive batches. The apparatus comprises a cylindrical drum rotatable at a variable speed about a horizontal axis and spacedly surrounded by a heat insulating sheath; a gas burner heats the rotating drum along its entire length from the exterior of the same; a chimney communicates with the space between the drum and the sheath, which has ventilation openings closeable by trap doors; the drum is supported by bearings so as to allow its axial thermal expansion. A manifold system of filters is stationarily mounted within the rotating drum to filter out fine solid residues from the pyrolytic gases and vapors. This manifold is connected to a discharge tube which exits from one end of the drum and is fitted with a sealing joint to seal the drum around the stationary discharge tube. This joint has a passage for admitting into the drum emergency inert gas to prevent atmospheric air from entering into the drum in the event of an accidental leak of the rotary joint. The drum has an access door and a system to swing the door open and to properly seal the door in position on the drum.
However, none of these patents or other references suggest applicant's process of utilizing a large volume reactor, a fairly sufficient amount of hydrocarbonacetous material such as various polymers, the formation of a temperature gradient across a pyrolyzate/char layer with a slow heating rate which creates a specific temperature gradient and the substantial absence of oxygen. Furthermore, the moderate conditions used contradicts the products which suggest that severe conditions have been utilized. Furthermore, these references fail to teach or suggest and, in fact, teach away from the end products obtained by applicant's process, especially the high percentage of aromatics and, particularly, the gross formation of new aromatic rings.